Refuse can support

ABSTRACT

A support for a group of household garbage cans or the like comprises a plurality of frames normally radiating from a sleeve which is adjustable vertically on a post, each frame being adapted to hold an individual can, and each being connected to the sleeve for collapsing to a depending, inoperative position when its can is removed.

United States Patent Shelton [451 Feb. 15, 1972 [54] REFUSE CAN SUPPORT 617,961 l/l899 Johnson .,.....248/97 72 Inventor: Ralph Edward Shelton, Route 4, x Greenevme Tenn 37.743 1,144,072 6/1915 Sherwood..... ....248/21O 1,338,126 4/1920 Erickson ..248/97 [22] Filed: Sept. 8, 1969 1,520,352 12/1924 Johnson.... 211/167 X 1,997,947 4/ 1935 Pantek ..248/ 128 [21] 8564,25 3,051,428 8/1962 Schult.... ....248/149 x 3,229,940 l/ 1966 Kagels ..248/132 X [52] U.S. Cl ..211/78, 211/85, 211/167,

211/178 A, 248/131, 248/132, 248/149, 248/150, Primary Examiner-Edward C. Allen 248/D1G. 7 Assistant ExaminerAbraham Frankel [51 Int. Cl ..A47g 29/00 Attorney-Albert H. Kirchner [58] Field ofSearch ..211/78,77,85,71, 178 A,

211/71 GC, 132,167,178, 75; 248/131, 45, 349, [57] 7 ABSTRACT 7 A support for a group of household garbage cans or the like comprises a plurality of frames normally radiating from a [56] References Cited sleeve which is adjustable vertically on a post, each frame UNITED STATES PATENTS being adapted to hold an individual can, and each being connected to the sleeve for collapsing to a depending, inoperative E1110 ..21 position when can is removed 342,476 5/1886 Swartwout. .....21 l/75 469,216 2/1892 Quinn ..21 1/77 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I I r :1 g

PATENTEDFEE 1 5 I972 SHEET 1 [IF 2 PATENTED FEB 1 5 I972 SHEEI 2 BF 2 INVENTOR RALPH E, SHELTON ATTORNEY REFUSE CAN SUPPORT The invention relates to refuse can supporting devices and more particularly to a structure for mounting a conventional household garbage can, or more especially a plurality of such cans, outdoors in secure, protected position in a cluster around a central supporting post by means adapted to be collapsed or folded to a compact, inoperative condition when not in use.

Principal objects of the invention in the specific preferred embodiment hereinafter explained are concerned with providing means for mounting a plurality of refuse cans, typically but not necessarily garbage cans, in any suitable outdoor location, as for example in a householders backyard, in neat fixed relation to each other, elevated above ground grade and otherwise disposed for protection from pets, rodents and the like and structurally adjustable for extensionof certain elements to operative position holding the full complement of cans or any lesser number, with retraction of the inoperative elements to space-conserving compact folded position.

Among the principal advantages and objectives of the device are the providing of a durable, simple, foolproof and generally attractive structure for eliminating the usual unsightly, unstable and unsanitary condition of backyard garbage and equivalent refuse stowage in a single covered can, or

more particularly a plurality of such cans, by clustering the cans equidistantly circumferentially around a central groundmounted supporting post on individual frames each of which functions normally to hold a single can elevated above the ground but is formed for folding to inconspicuous inoperative position upon removal of the can from the frame.

One particular objective and advantage of the preferred embodiment of the invention herein selected to illustrate the invention is the provision of a multiple can mounting structure that is ideally suitable for use at a single outdoor location which serves in common a plurality of two, three, or possibly even more separate householders, such as the neighboring occupants of contiguous apartments. In such usage, one individual can will be provided for each householder and will be mounted in its own individual frame support. In the event of an apartment vacancy, the can assigned to the unoccupied household can be removed from the structure and the frame for supporting it can be collapsed to inoperative, space-conserving position, ready, however, for immediate restoration to operative, can-holding position whenever use of an additional can is required. I I I The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will, it is believed, be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art by reference to the following description of one presently preferred embodiment of the inventive principles which has been reduced to actual practice and found to give entirely satisfactory results.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the presently preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the structure with each of its three can-holding frames extended to operative position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure, in the condition shown in FIG. 1, with, however, a can mounted in one of the frames;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, on a relatively enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, diametrically through the central supporting post, and partly broken away but showing one of the can-holding frames;

FIG. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the brace member connected to the post in frame-supporting position;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, like that of FIG. 2 but on a slightly smaller scale, and showing one of the can-holding frames extended in horizontal, operative position and another frame depending in vertical, inoperative position; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, on a still smaller scale, showing all the can-holding frames depending. in vertical, inoperative DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EM BODl MEN T In the foregoing figures, the reference numeral 10 designates generally a standard or upright post which is best made in two sections telescoped together: a lower tubularsection 12, which'is securely embedded in the ground .14 as by mounting it upright in a concrete footing l6, and an upper section 18 which may also be made of pipe stock as shown, or it may be a solid rod. In either case the upper section is provided with a vertically arranged series of equally spaced diametric holes 20, adapted to receive selectively a pin 22 which is conveniently made captive on one end of a chain 24, the other end of which is secured to the lower post section 12 as by means of an eye 26. I I

With the pin 22 protruding through any desired pair of diametrically opposite holes 20 in the upper section; and resting on the top edge of the lower section, the effective height of the post 10 is adjusted to suit cans of any vertical size, i.e., height, which may be installed on 'the structure, as will hereinafter appear.

I Telescoped over, the upper post section 18 is a sleeve 30 which rests by gravity on a flange abutment 32, or on a cushion washer 34 on the abutment. The sleeve may be formed of conventional pipe stock, of a diameter like that of the lower post section 12, in a suitable length that will be determined by the overall size of the installation and the size of the cans to be accommodated. The flanged element 32 that serves as a stop for positioning the sleeve on the post may be a washer welded to, the post section 18, as shown in FIG. 3.

Welded to the sleeve 30, in vertically spaced apart relation, are upper and lower radially projecting embossments or elements. In the illustrated embodiment these take the form of a lower set of short elements 40 of bar stock welded to the sleeve 30 in circumferentially equidistantly spaced relation just above the lower end of the sleeve, provided in a number equal to the number of cans to be accommodated, and an upper set of the same number of somewhat longer elements 42 similarly arranged on the sleeve just below its upper end. These elements function to mount the can-holding frames of the device, as will now be explained.

The can-holding members may be provided in varying humbers, the specific number, and hence the number of individual cans that can be mounted on the device, being a matter of selection'and design and not constituting any indispensible detail of the invention. However, the structure is designed primarily in the preferred embodiment to mount a cluster of cans, and it is found that three constitutes a convenient and suitable number for this purpose. Accordingly, the illustrated embodiment shows three can-holding subcombinations or frames. Two could as well be incorporated in a slightly modified design, as could four in a further modification. In any event, the spacing of the cans and their moujntings is equidistant around the axis of the structure, which of course is the longitudinal center line of the post 10.

All the can mounts are identical. Each of them comprises a large ring 50, best made of a strip of heavy gauge sheet metal of appreciable width, formed in annular shape and of appropriate diameter to receive and hold a conventional garbage 'can 53 as shown in FIG. 2. This function of the ring can be performed by making its diameter equal to the diameter of theusual slightly flaring can body up near the top of the can or, in the case of a can of strictly cylindrical shape, by making the diameter of the ring just large enough to pass the tan body with the usual can bail or handle-mounting ears resting on the top edge of the ring. In either case the can stands in the ring in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

The ring 50 constitutes a frame which terminates in a short am 52 which is welded to the side of the ring and projects radially from it to form one member of a hinge mounting the ring on the sleeve 30. The other member of this hinge is a fork 54 outstanding from one of the upper embossment elements 42 which project radially from the sleeve. The fork straddles the arm 52 and has the arm pivoted to it by a pin 56.

It will be evident that by this arrangement each of the frames, i.e., each ring 50, when not holding a can, can be swung about its hinge pin 56 to a position hanging down proximate to the post 10 as shown at the left-hand side of FIG. and in the case of all three of the frames in FIG. 6, or to a position 90 removed from that depending condition, i.e., radially extended to a horizontal position as shown at the right-hand side of FIG. 5 and in the case of all three of the frames in FIGS. 1 and 2. In this extended or operative position the frame is set to hold a can. The depending or inoperative position is the condition to which each of the frames is swung when not holding a can and not intended to be supplied with one.

To latch the frames in extended, operative or can-holding position, each of them is provided with a retractable detent. This comprises a bolt 60 mounted in a bore in the upper radially projecting element 42 and biased radially outwardly by a spring 62 to engage the end of the bolt with the adjacent end of the arm 52. The bolt has a rounded upper surface terminating in a downwardly facing shoulder, and the end of the arm has a rounded under surface which terminates in a shoulder that faces upwardly when the frame is in operative, extended position, in which position the two shoulders are engaged, as shown in FIG. 3, in a relationship that holds the frame extended. To lower the frame, the bolt is retracted manually, for which purpose the bolt is provided with a fingerpiece or trigger 64 which projects downwardly through a slot 66 in the element 42. When the frame hangs down in inoperative position, the bolt end abuts that surface 68 of the arm 52 which is at the bottom of the arm in the extended position of the frame. As the frame is lifted toward extend position, the curved surface of the arm cams over the curved surface of the bolt until, upon the frame reaching fully horizontal position, the bolt snaps out to rojected position and the shoulders of the arm and bolt are engaged, as shown in FIG. 3, to hold the frame extended.

But fully loaded garbage cans can be heavy, and to provide stout support for such cans the structure includes, for each of them, bracing means operable when the frame is extended to can-holding position and collapsible to folded condition when the frame is empty and hangs in inoperative position.

Such bracing means comprises, in the illustrated embodiment, for each of the can-holding frames, a pair of identical rods 70, each having one end pin connected to the ring 50 and its other end arranged for engaging the lower radially projecting embossrnent element 40. The connections to the ring are at diametrically opposite points equidistant from the axis of the post 10, as shown in FIG. 1. As also there shown, the two rods thus pivoted to each ring are curved toward each other, so as to conform generally to the curvature of a can supported in the ring, and terminate together in flattened ears which are joined in spaced relation by a double-headed rivet 72, as seen in FIG. 4. The spacing is slightly greater than the thickness of the adjacent element 40 so that the ears will straddle the element when the rivet 72 drops into a slot 74 that is cut obliquely into the outer end of the element, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

It will be evident that the foregoing arrangement causes each of the brace rod pairs to hang down close to the post in space-conserving position when the ring to which they are pivoted is empty and itself hangs down in the inoperative position shown at the left-hand side of FIG. 5. It will also be obvious that when the ring is swung up about its hinge pivot 56 to the operative position of FIGS. 2, 3 and at the right in FIG. 5, the brace rod pair can be swung toward the post and the rivet 72 dropped into the slot 74 of the adjacent element 40 to provide ample support for all the weight of a loaded ring.

Thus the invention provides a sturdy, efficient and durable structure for supporting, in safe and secure elevated position above the ground, a sin le refuse can, or a plurality of cans up to the limit determined y the specific design in which the invention is embodied, with each can-holding frame collapsible to space-conserving inoperative position when not in use, and with the entire set of cans rotatable as a unit so as to bring any one of the cans selectively into any circumferential location desired. Thus, for example, an individual can may be filled in one location convenient tothe householder, and thereafter the whole frame unit can be turned, by rotation of the sleeve 30 on the post section 18, to bring the can, or all the cans successively, into positions convenient to be removed and emptied by the refuse collector. The cushion washer 34, which is best made of nylon or Teflon, facilitates this rotation, as does also a similar washer 82 at the top of the post section underlying a cap which may be welded to the sleeve to cover and close the hollow post.

The spirit of the invention does not require that all the individual details be incorporated in the manner and combinations disclosed, and it is recognized that changes in design may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refuse can support comprising an upstanding post,

radially projecting elements formed on the post in spaced apart vertical relation,

a can-holding frame hinged to the upper element,

a brace member having one end pivoted to the frame adjacent the free end of the frame and having its other end engageable with the lower element for holding the frame radially extended, from the post in operative horizontal position for holding a can and detachable from the lower element for allowing the frame, on removal of the can, to swing about its hinge and hang in inoperative position from the upper element, and

a detent in the hinged connection of the frame and the upper element normally holding the frame in extended horizontal position and retractable for allowing the frame to swing down to inoperative position.

2. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 1,

including a sleeve telescopically mounted on the post and vertically adjustable thereon,

with said radially projecting elements fixed on the sleeve.

3. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 1,

including a sleeve telescopically mounted on the post and vertically adjustable thereon,

with said radially projecting elements fixed on the sleeve,

a plurality of said frames being hinged equidistantly circumferentially about said upper element.

4. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 3,

in which said hinged connection comprises cam and shoulder surfaces formed on the frame, and

said detent comprises a bolt spring-pressed radially outwardly from the upper radially projecting element and having cam and shoulder surfaces cooperating with those of the frame, i

whereby said cam surfaces over each other with retraction of the bolt whenthe frame is being swung from inoperative toward operative position and the bolt becomes projected to snap said shoulders into engagement for holding the frame fixed when swung fully to operative position.

5. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 3, V

in which said detent is manually retractable for separation of said engaged shoulders and lowering of the frarne upon detachment of the brace member from'the lowefi radially projecting element.

can in the 

1. A refuse can support comprising an upstanding post, radially projecting elements formed on the post in spaced apart vertical relation, a can-holding frame hinged to the upper element, a brace member having one end pivoted to the frame adjacent the free end of the frame and having its other end engageable with the lower element for holding the frame radially extended from the post in operative horizontal position for holding a can and detachable from the lower element for allowing the frame, on removal of the can, to swing about its hinge and hang in inoperative position from the upper element, and a detent in the hinged connection of the frame and the upper element normally holding the frame in extended horizontal position and retractable for allowing the frame to swing down to inoperative position.
 2. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 1, including a sleeve telescopically mounted on the post and vertically adjustable thereon, with said radially projecting elements fixed on the sleeve.
 3. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 1, including a sleeve telescopically mounted on the post and vertically adjustable thereon, with said radially projecting elements fixed on the Sleeve, a plurality of said frames being hinged equidistantly circumferentially about said upper element.
 4. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 3, in which said hinged connection comprises cam and shoulder surfaces formed on the frame, and said detent comprises a bolt spring-pressed radially outwardly from the upper radially projecting element and having cam and shoulder surfaces cooperating with those of the frame, whereby said cam surfaces over each other with retraction of the bolt when the frame is being swung from inoperative toward operative position and the bolt becomes projected to snap said shoulders into engagement for holding the frame fixed when swung fully to operative position.
 5. A refuse can support as claimed in claim 3, in which said detent is manually retractable for separation of said engaged shoulders and lowering of the frame upon detachment of the brace member from the lower radially projecting element. 